Police investigating CTrain hair stroking video

Calgary police now have a copy of the video that shows a man stroking the hair of a woman on the CTrain that was posted on social media in December.

The video was captured by another rider and has since been posted on several over social media sites.

It shows a young man subtly grabbing and stroking a woman’s hair at least twice during the minute-long clip.

The woman doesn’t appear to be aware that her hair is being touched and it also doesn’t appear the man realizes he is being taped by another passenger.

Transit riders who were shown the video are appalled. “It’s kinda creepy,” one says. “Like, two people watching – like, he’s watching her and the person doing the taping is watching them. I don’t know, it’s kinda creepy all the way around.”

It’s not known who took the video yet, but it was first posted at the beginning of December.

Many people are left wondering why the person who recorded it didn't appear to turn over the video to police right away while others are questioning the validity of the footage, believing it to be a hoax.

Police became aware of it when Calgarians began posting the video on their Facebook pages on Wednesday.

They say they have received several tips so far about the video and are continuing with their investigation.

“When you look at the video, it may meet the threshold of assault, but it’s only a 30 second snapshot, there is nothing leading up and nothing afterwards. There is going to have to be a little investigative follow-up,” says Detective Kevin Brookwell of the Calgary Police.

The video was viewed thousands of times before it was taken down by YouTube on Friday morning.

CTV has also heard from other riders who say they've had their own situations while riding on the CTrain.

One woman, who refuses to be identified, says that there have been two occasions where other riders have 'violated her personal space.'

Both times she says she was touched inappropriately by male passengers.

"There were a lot of seats availabe and a certain gentleman just decided to sit down, not just beside me, but almost at the point where he was on me. His buttocks were on my leg - it was bizarre because I never experienced that."

On another occasion, she claims that another male rider has his arm resting on her rear end and she was in a position where she couldn't move away.

Photos

A screen capture of from a video making the rounds on social media shows a man touching the hair of an unidentified woman on the CTrain. The video is now in the hands of the police.